Field
The invention is in the area of predictive driving assistance systems for vehicles. In particular, a predictive suspension control system and a corresponding method and computer program for a vehicle such as a two-wheel vehicle, a scooter or a motorcycle, and using a stereo camera sensor, is proposed.
Description of the Related Art
Adapting a vehicle's suspension to different and varying road conditions is a developing area in automobile development. In the domain of two-track vehicles, improving driving comfort by adapting the parameters of the wheel suspension depending on the road surface conditions is known. These systems adapt the technical characteristics of the suspension based on events such as vibrating wheels, braking or acceleration actions of the vehicle.
A more recent generation addresses the adaption of the suspension of a vehicle by predicting road surface conditions ahead of the vehicle and adapting suspension parameters in advance, meaning before the wheel actually encounters the change in the road surface conditions which makes an adaptation in the vehicle's suspension characteristics desirable. Magic Body Control System scan the road ahead of the vehicle using a stereo camera, detect single road surface irregularities ahead of the vehicle and adapt the characteristics of the suspension of the wheels accordingly in advance. However such predictive suspension control is only provided by one system for two-track vehicles by addressing challenging timing and processing requirements. Thus the efficiency of the system is restricted to a predetermined vehicle speed envelope.
Active body control systems have been introduced into the area of single track vehicles such as motor cycles and scooters. However the processing restrictions and in particular the increased dynamic driving characteristics of the single-track vehicle compared to the two-track vehicle prevented the introduction of predictive suspension control systems to the field of single-tack vehicles.
Thus the technical problem of predictive suspension control for vehicles extended dynamic characteristics at severe restrictions concerning space and processing capabilities is to be addressed.